Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008

Toy Safety Rankings: 1 in 3 Toys is Toxic

“One in three toys tested by a Michigan nonprofit group contained medium or high levels of toxic chemicals, according to a report released Wednesday. And U.S.-made children’s toys didn’t necessarily contain fewer toxins than their imported counterparts.”

Read or listen to the full story at NPR, or jump right to the 1,500 toy rankings at HealthyToys.org. Browse by brand or type of toy, or do a search. Unfortunately, you cannot browse by viewing toy thumbnails, which would make the process much easier.

I took a cursory look and didn’t notice any Thinga-reviewed toys with problem ratings, although 1,500 toys is far from a comprehensive list. Some companies have only 1 toy tested, but Melissa and Doug has a boat load. My recent recommendations in our gift guides for the Geometric Stacker, Jumbo Knob Geometric Puzzle, and Electronic Keys (which come packaged with a toy phone) have a “low” threat rating, which is the lowest ranking available.

Surprisingly, our toys fared pretty well. I was most concerned about our Fisher Price Little Mommy Dolls, and they seem to have results that vary by the color of the clothing. (Bromine was found in the “clothing” while Chlorine/PVC were found in most of the plastic parts.)